HOCKEY.

Evening Star, Issue 18253, 18 April 1923, Page 10

HOCKEY.

ASSOCIATION'S ANNUAL MEETING. ■ A SUCCESSFUL SEASON. NEED FOR BETTER GROUNDS. The annual meeting of delegates to the council of the Otago Hockey Association was held in the Y.M.C.A. Looms last evening. In the absence of tho president (Mr J. A. Park), Mr J. Hogg (vice-pre-sident) was elected to the chair. The Chairman said it was regrettable that the president (Mr Park) had not been able to bo present, as the meeting marked the close of his eighteenth year ot office. He paid tribute to the fine work Mr Park had done for the association. In moving the adoption of the annual import (published below), the Chairman said ■he could safely say that the standard of hockey shown by last year’s play was the highest since pre-war days. Ibe display given by the Otago team against the Australian and Canterbury teams had been of a high order indeed. Tho visit of the Aussies should do much for the game in Otago, and the Otago Rugby Football Union was to be thanked for the way in which it had assisted the association in connection with the visit. He also thanked those who had guaranteed the sum of £55, and who had accepted tho loss of 10s in the £ without demur. The finaces were in fairly sound condition, the bal-ance-sheet showing a debit of only £1 Os 6d. Mr Hogg referred to the good work done by the Reserves Committee of the City Council in providing the city with more, numerous and better equipped sports grounds. He realised that the council bad been pushing ahead this work. The charges for the grounds were, however, excessive. He emphasised the necessity for more dressing accommodation on the Oval, and urged members to do their utmost to’ push forward hockey in the schools. He said, in conclusion, that the incoming committee would have to bo prepared to meet the Citizens’ in connection with the forthcoming exhibition, and, perhaps, to forgo the use of the Oval for that season. He thought that the City Council would see to it that the association was provided witii grounds to enable them to cany on the game while the Oval was otherwise engaged.

Air L. Ireland, in seconding the motion, said that the Hockey Association and the other sports bodies should push lor grounds on the Lake Logan area. The Secretary pointed nut that, if they lost the use of the. Oval for a season, the association would be harder hit than other sports bodies, because it was on (lie Oval that their first grade matches were played, whereas to other bodies the Oval grounds were merely subsidiary grounds. The report was adopted. OFFICE-BEARERS.

The election of office-bearers resulted ns follows; —President, Air J. A. Park: vicepresidents—Messrs 0. R. Ritchie, H. W. Slater, H. S. Hellyer, E, H. Calder, J. Hogg, H. F. Payton, N. APLeod, P. B, Foote, S. A. Foote, L. Ireland, and T. S. Alitchell; auditor, Mr L. Ireland; Air A. Hinton; committee— Messrs M 7. Bridgman, A. Hinton, J. R. Starr, L. Gardiner, W. Eclgiiiton, and J. Harris. GENERAL. The acting secretary of the Otago Hockey Referees’ Association wrote asking the council to assist them in persuading experienced present and past players to help the association by becoming members, or, failing that, by offering their services as referees occasionally. It was decided that a minute appreciative of the work done by the retiring secretary (Air S. A. Foote) during his three years of office be placed on the association’s records. ANNUAL REPORT, The Alanagement Committee in its annual report stated that the University A team were again the winners of the Gilray Cup by 1 point from Gymnastic. In the second grade the University A team won the Williamson Cup. Li the third grade the Otago Boys’ High School A team”were the winners of the Gymnastic Aleniorial Cup. In the primary schools competition the Normal A team won the schools banner. The City Club were tho winners of the senior seven-a-side competition for the Hayward Cup, and Technical College Old Boys again won the Aloller Gup. The first rep. match was played against a team from South Canterbury on the Caledonian Ground, and resulted in a win for Otigo by the substantial margin of 7 goals to nil. Following that, the team smt fo Christchurch sustained' defeat by 5 goals to nil. AVhen, compared with the Christchurch grounds, ours are very mediocre, the consequence being that after playing on the Oval our players are practicuily lost for the first spell on tho firm, fast grounds of the northern city. A second selection was sent to play a return match against South Canterbury at Geraldine, which resulted 4-5 in favor of our northern friends. By permission of the Otago Rugby Football Union, who ultimately conceded the free use of the best ground for tho purpose, a match against the Australians was played at Carisbrook. On account of the inclemency of the weather, however, the attendance was poor, bitt the game, nevertheless, proved a creditable exhibition.

Schools’ Representative Fixtures.—The Canterbury Association again, sent a team to Dunedin and captured the Hatch Cup from our boys by a substantial margin. It is hoped this coming season to produce a team to journey to Christchurch and win back this coveted trophy. Our secondary schools also sustained "defeat from the same centre, but it so happened that this game was played when most of our best secondary school players were absent on term holidays.

Summarising the sport for the year in general it may be said that the standard of play was perhaps slightly better than during the previous season, but experts from other centres who have visited this town consider that unless our playing areas are considerably improved we cannot hope to attain to as high a standard i as northern provinces. With regard to finance, the executive is to be congratulated upon the result of the year’s transactions. The general account, which stood in debit at the commencement of the season to the extent of Dll 10s Bd. shows an excess of receipts over expenditure of £lO 10s 3d for the year. This leaves us with a debit balance to carry forward of £1 Os Bd. Against this are outstanding dues, which, if paid, would place us slightly in credit. The schools’ account, which stood in credit 13s 4d to begin the season, is now in credit to the extent of £6 Is 9d—an increase of £5 8s 5d on the year’s working. This result is entirely attributable to the generosity of the management of the Em- ■ piro Pictures, to whom the association is very grateful. Regarding finance generally, the execn- , live wishes to impress upon the clubs the necessity for dealing promptly with their financial affairs, so as to assist the controlling body. They are also requested to canvass for new players. The necessity for a substantial increase in membership of clubs is plainly evident when one considers, even briefly, the heavy ground rent which we have to pay the City Corporation. Last year, our total payments to that body amounted to £35 10s. Genera! satisfaction was felt at the close of last season that the Citv Council had seen its way to install efficient lighting and more efficient accommodation, at the Oval pavilion. This pavilion is not very satisfactory, and this will be quite obvious when one reflects that every Saturday afternoon its three email rooms are used by some 450 participants in the various aports who play there weekly. More attention might, we "think, be given grounds by the council, and in staling this we may say we wish no better treatment than that given the grounds used by other sports. The reason for this comment is that last season the grass on our grounds was not cut once during the season, and towards the latter end of the season the grass was so long that players found difficulty in finding the ball. LADIES’ ASSOCIATION. The annual meeting of the Otago ladies' Hockey Association was presided over by Mr G. A. Nelson. The annual report and balance-sheet were adopted on the motion

of Miss White, seconded by Miss Campbell. Tho election of office-hearers resulted: —President, Mrs R'. Hudson, jam.; vicepresidents—Mra G. A. Nelson, Misses 1). V. White, F. Campbell, Messrs G. A. Nelson. H. Harris, and! 11. W, Hollyer; executive —'Misses L. Dewar, E. M. Balk, B. Patterson, and A. Foley, also a representative from thei Secondary and Primary Schools’ Associations to be arranged ; hon. treasurer, Mies A. Henderson : delegates to N.Z.L.H.A., Misses E. Moore and F. Hicks (Wellington). Mrs Nelson moved' a vole of thanks jo those who kindly billeted l players during their stay in Dunedin'. Seconded by Miss Foley, and carried. Miss Foley (Otago) moved—“ That it bo a recommendation to the incoming c'mmittee to appoint a selector or .--e'ecvm’s not later than the second match of the season, and that the selector he not a referee.—Seconded by Miss Provo (Momona), and' carried. The first meeting of the new executive was held in Mr Sullivan’s Board Room last- evening, Mrs G. A. Nelson being in the chair.

The first matter dealt with was the appointment of a secretary. Miss White moved, and Mrs Nelson seconded—“ That until further arrangements were made Miss L. E. Dewar he appointed secretary carried. It was decided to open the season by commencing matches on the 28th inst. Entries from clubs to be received by the secretary by Saturday next.